Life is Beautiful
by othlvr16
Summary: Cate Cassidy decided to keep her daughter when she was born...now it's 16 years later and Lux loves her life. Growing up Lux had always believed that Ryan was her father, but what happens when Lux finally learns the truth about who her father really is?
1. Make a Life

**A/N: This is my first Life Unexpected story. I don't know if anyone of you will read it, but I hope that you do and I hope that you like it. I will understand if you all hate it, but this is my story and this is my idea so I'll just leave it at that.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One: Make a Life<strong>

Cate Cassidy could not believe that this was happening to her. Her winter formal two months ago had started out crappy and by the end she found herself spending it with popular man, Nathaniel Bazile or otherwise known as Baze, Westmonte High's very own quarterback. She had given him the one thing that she didn't want to give to anyone at least not now. She couldn't believe that she had been so stupid. Her little crush had gotten out of hand and now here she was trying to track him down because sitting her bathroom was a white stick with a positive sign told her she was pregnant.

Walking through the halls of Westmonte, Cate thought back on her life. Her younger sister Abby was 15 and was always in her own little world. Her mother, Laverne was a drunk and was currently single. She had been married a few times already and working on her next one. All Cate knew about babies or parenting was how not to be one, but she knew one thing for sure. She didn't want to lose this baby. She didn't want to give this baby away. She wanted to keep him or her and she was going to do that with or without Baze's help.

All Cate wanted to do in high school was fit in, but now she knew that wasn't going to happen. Turning the corner she spotted Baze talking to his football buddies and Cate internally sighed. Their one night stand was just supposed to be a one night stand and now they would forever be linked.

Cate found her opportunity to speak to Baze when all of his football buddies straggled away from him. Baze was getting his bag out of his locker when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Baze turned to Cate with a raised eyebrow before looking around the hallway not wanting to be seen by his friends.

"What can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you. It's kind of important."

"Look, winter formal was nice and everything, but we can't do that again. You understand that right?"

Cate sighed angrily.

"I need to speak with you. I really don't care about that night, but what I have to tell you pertains to it."

"What?" Baze asks confused.

"Can we just talk please?" Cate pleads.

Baze shuts his locker and follows Cate out to the quad.

"Whatever it is can you make it fast? I have football practice in fifteen minutes."

Cate turns away from Baze and bites the bottom of her lip.

"Cate?"

Cate turns and faces Baze.

"So you do know my name?"

Baze nods his head.

"Yeah, I do. Look, whatever you have to say can you say it fast because like I said I have football practice."

"I'm pregnant," Cate blurts out in a rush.

Baze drops his bag and just stares at Cate. He was pretty sure that Cate wasn't the one to sleep around which meant it was his baby that she was carrying.

"What do you want from me?"

"I tell you that I am pregnant and that's what you ask me. Are you a complete moron?"

"I guess I am considering I got you pregnant," Baze whispers. "Look, I don't know what you expect from me. If my parents found out they would kill. My dad would kill me. I don't care what you do Cate, but I'm sixteen. I can't do this."

"How do you think I feel Baze? I'm sixteen too, but you don't see me backing away from it."

"It would be kind of hard for you to," Baze jokes. Cate just glares at him.

"This isn't a joking matter. I just want to know if you want to be in this baby's life."

"I-I-I can't," Baze shakes his head. "My dad already hates me. I can't do this."

"From here on out we go our separate ways. You don't contact me and I don't contact you."

Cate turns to walk away, but Baze asks her a question.

"Are you keeping it?"

Cate turns 180 degrees to face Baze.

"Why does it matter? You can't do it, remember."

And with those words, Cate walked away and headed home. Baze picked up his bag and went to practice.

***Life is Beautiful***

Baze walked onto the football field in a daze. The recent news was messing with his head. A part of him felt horrible for telling Cate that he couldn't do it. He couldn't, but that didn't mean he couldn't try. His dad, Jack and his mom Ellen would be devastated of the news. He could see it now. His father would lecture and tell him he had to make something of his life and football wasn't going to get him anywhere. His father would set him up for a job and more likely than not his father would try and take the baby away because Jack Bazile doesn't believe his son could do anything. He knew this was the best though. He had to let Cate go and he had to stay away. Cate and the baby would be better without him.

"Bazile, you're late. Get your ass out there!"

Baze looks up at his coach and puts on his helmet. He was so getting his ass kicked during this practice. His mind just wasn't in it.

One play in and Baze was sacked to the ground. Yeah, this wasn't so good.

***Life is Beautiful***

Before walking home, Cate had to stop at her locker to grab her books. She had a paper due in English and she wasn't going to let her grades suffer because she was pregnant. She slams her locker closed and quickly walks down the hallway. She couldn't stand being in the school anymore. On her way out the door she bumps into a stranger and her stuff falls on the ground. Cate sighs in frustration.

"I'm sorry. I was in a rush. I didn't see you there."

"You were busy looking at the floor. You wouldn't have seen me."

Cate takes the books that the stranger had picked up and she blushed at the handsome teen in front of her.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," Cate mentions.

"I just moved here."

"My name is Cate Cassidy."

The teen smiles.

"Ryan Thomas."


	2. It's Complicated

**Chapter Two: It's Complicated**

**Fifteen almost sixteen years later:**

"It's too early for this."

Cate and Ryan turn to look at Lux Cassidy, their daughter. Her blonde hair framed her face. Lux was leaning back in her chair holding her coffee in her hand. It was the early morning and she, along with Cate Cassidy and Ryan Thomas were preparing for their daily radio spot, K-100's Morning Madness.

"Lux, you could've stayed home and slept. You didn't have to come in."

"Mom, I have fans," Lux explains. "And besides how else are parents going to learn how to talk to their kids if they don't get the kid perspective."

"She has a point Cate," Ryan grins from his chair. He was watching the mother daughter interaction with a smile. He couldn't believe he was a part of this. When he had bumped into Cate during their sophomore year of high school he that he was making a friend and now here he was almost sixteen years later, married and a father to Cate's daughter.

Lux Cassidy was not his child biologically, but he didn't care about that. He had learned quickly that Cate was pregnant. In fact, he had found out a week after they met. Their friendship had grown and Ryan had found himself falling for Cate. Cate was hesitant to start a relationship with him because of her daughter, but Ryan had sworn that no matter what happened, Lux would have him in her life. Ryan and Cate were married before Lux had been born. Cate had been 5 months pregnant.

However, there is one thing that Ryan and Cate were both worried about and that was if Lux would ever find out that Ryan wasn't really her dad. They were praying that she won't. But usually things that tried to be kept secret, always find a way of coming out.

"You guys get ready," Alice says as she pokes her head in the room. "You guys are on in five."

Ryan, Cate and Lux grab their headphones and are directed to start.

"_Good morning, Portland. You're listening to K-100's Morning Madness with Cate and Ryan and today's special guest, our daughter Lux. Now today is our monthly 'how do I talk to my kid without it being a tragedy' arc which is why we have Lux here today. How's it going Lux?"_

Lux grins at her father and shakes her head before speaking.

"_I'm fine except that I had to get up at five in the morning and then proceeded to eat mom's cooking which I almost died by the way."_

Cate gasps before speaking.

"_Hey I resent that. My cooking is not that bad. I've gotten better, right?"_

Ryan and Lux stay quiet.

"_Fine, I suck. I admit it, but cooking is extremely hard to do."_

"_I was only kidding mom. Anyway, to all you listeners out there who are parents, if you can't cook then don't try or you are only going to make your kid suffer."_

"_Come on Lux, that's a little harsh don't you think? I mean, not everyone can cook."_

Lux grins at her father.

"_Take-out was invented because of bad cooking. It's as easy as that."_

"_Enough about my cooking. We are here to talk about what really matters and it's why your teens don't talk to their parents. I swear, every teen I talk to, they don't respond. You ask them how school was and their response is 'fine' or you what they want to do and they respond with 'whatever.' What is up with that?"_

"_It's simple. When a teen responds that way it usually means that you have bugged them so much that they give the simplest answers OR they could really mean what they are saying."_

"_And the teenager speaks," _Ryan cuts in. _"Call in with your questions or talk to us about your interactions with teens. In the meantime, Larry's tires are having a discount sale on used tires so check it out."_

***Life is Beautiful***

"_And we are back. Some of you viewers called in with questions and right now we have Susan on the line. Susan, how are you this morning?"_

"_I'm good Ryan thank you."_

Baze turns the radio up as he cleans up his place of business, Open Bar, from the night before. His friend Jamie and Math were also helping him before Math had to head to school to teach and Jamie headed to bed.

"Are you seriously listening to this thing again? Why are you doing this man?" Jamie asks as he places a bunch of glasses on the bar top.

"I just do, okay? Leave me alone."

Jamie shakes his head and gets back to work while Baze just stands and listens.

"_My question is for you Lux. My daughter is about your age and I had walked into her room and out of nowhere she just yells at me. I swear it was out of the blue. I had just gone in to ask her a question and she literally went off on me."_

"_Well it could be for a lot of reasons. What was your daughter doing at the moment?"_

"_I'm not really sure, but I think she was listening to her music and working on something. I'm not quite sure."_

"_Don't worry Susan; my mom and my dad have trouble with this as well."_

Baze shakes his head and pours himself a drink. Ryan Thomas wasn't her father. He was her father. He was the father. He remembered seeing Ryan with Cate all through high school and he hated it. Now he hated it even more because nobody knew. Nobody knew that he was Lux's father except for him, Cate and Ryan. He was starting to regret letting go all those years ago.

"_Next time just knock on your daughter's door. She'll answer unless she's mad at you."_

"_Thanks Lux."_

"_No problem, Susan."_

"Was that Lux Cassidy on the radio?" Math asks as he stands next to Baze.

"Yeah," Baze responds as he shuts the radio off. He didn't want to listen anymore. It hurt too much. "Why?"

Math shakes his head.

"No reason. She's just in my English class."

Baze lifts his head up and stares at his friend from high school.

"You teach Lux," Math nods his head. "What's she like?"

Math raises an eyebrow at his friend. He thought that was a creepy question coming from Baze.

"Jailbait."

"That's sick," Baze responds. "And not what I meant by the way, I just wanted to know how she is as a student. Does she have a boyfriend, anything like that?"

"Why do you care so much?"

Baze laughs and shakes his head.

"Never mind. It was stupid. Tell Jamie there will be a beer delivery in a few hours. I need to be somewhere."

Math watches in confusion as Baze runs upstairs and then back down and out the front door.

"He's getting weirder every day."

***Life is Beautiful***

"That was some good advice Lux," Alice says as she enters the room. The radio show had ended and they were setting up for the next one.

Lux smiled at Alice and nodded her head.

"I had fun, but now I have to go to school and listen to everybody talk about it today. I swear every time I'm on the radio, everyone has to talk about it."

"That's what happens to a celebrity," Cate responds as she grabs her keys from her purse. "I'm sure all those kids appreciate what you say so they don't have to say it to their parents."

"Lux Cassidy, every teen's celebrity."

"I'll see you at home Lux," Ryan says as he grabs his bag. "I've got some errands to run. Have a good day at school and make sure you actually bring your homework home this time."

Lux rolls her eyes and grabbed her backpack.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Lux Cassidy," Ryan warned with a raise in his eyebrow.

Lux sighs quietly.

"If I have the homework I will bring it home. I promise. Scouts honor."

"You were never in scouts," Cate says with a grin.

Lux purses her lips and shrugs her shoulders before walking out the door. Cate and Ryan chuckle at their daughter.

"She's a character," Cate says with a grin.

"She's our daughter."

Ryan grins and steps forward and wraps his arms around his wife.

"I love you."

Cate grins back.

"I love you, too."

***Life Is Beautiful***

Cate parks in a spot in the parking lot of Westmonte High school.

"Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes mother, I have everything. Can I go now please? I'm supposed to meet Tash and Jones."

"Alright, you go, but bring home your homework like your father said."

"Why are you two always on my back?"

"I think it has something to do with the fact that your last report card wasn't what we liked it to be at."

"I know I'm working on it. I promise, but I've got to go."

"Do I need to pick you up or is Jones going to?"

Lux got out the door and turned to her mother.

"I'll have Jones drop me off, don't worry."

"I'll always worry about you."

Lux smiles and closes the car door. Cate watches her daughter meet up with her friends before she turns her car back on. When she looks to the side she swears she had seen familiar face get into their car and drive away. Cate looks at herself in the rearview mirror. She didn't want to do this. She was seriously worried, but she needed to know why now.

***Life is Beautiful***

Baze walked back into his bar and shrugged out of his jacket. He had no idea why he traveled to that school, but once he spotted his daughter something in him had changed. He wanted to know her. He wanted to know everything about her. He wanted to know if she watched YouTube. Was she good in school? Did she have a good life? He just wanted to know.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Baze turns around and comes face to face with K-100's own, Cate Cassidy, the mother of his child.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you. I saw you at the school. You left Baze. You don't get to do this. I don't need you and my daughter doesn't need you."

"She's my daughter too."

Cate's face hardens.

"She is not your daughter. She is my daughter. She is Ryan's daughter. You are nothing and you will remain nothing. Do you hear me?"

"She is my daughter Cate. You can't keep her from me anymore. I want to be a part of her life."

"You lost out on that right the moment you walked away and I'm glad because I have Ryan, but you can't ruin my life now. You can't ruin Lux's."

"This isn't about Lux, Cate. This is about you!" Baze yells.

"That's the reason why you are still the same teenage boy I once knew. This isn't about me. It's about Lux. It has always been about Lux! Now leave us the hell alone!"

Cate storms back out of the bar and leaves Baze standing in his bar wondering what the hell has just happened.

***Life is Beautiful***

Cate arrives home in anger. She slams her front door and is instantly greeted by her husband.

"What is going on? What happened?" Ryan asks concerned.

"I saw Baze. He was at Lux's school."

Ryan's face turns white.

"What does that mean?"

"He wants to see her."

Ryan deflates and walks over to the couch to sit down. He just stares at the floor. Cate sits down next to him and does the same thing.

"But I'm her father. I held her when she was born and I was there when she had all those surgeries. I was there when she had the chickenpox and I was there when she had her first heartbreak. I'm her father not Baze. I'm her father."

Cate wholeheartedly agreed, but she knew there was one person that didn't and his name was Nathaniel Bazile.


	3. Screwed Up

**A/N: Okay, wow. I didn't think anybody would like this story, but you all do. I'm sorry I haven't really responded to any of you, but I've been kind of busy. Anyways, here is the new chapter and I hope you all enjoy it!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Screwed Up<strong>

"There she is," Tasha announces with a grin as Lux comes into her view. "Heard you on the radio. The only time I willingly get up that damn early."

Lux grins and gives Tasha a hug before smiling at Jones.

"How was everyone's weekend?"

"Same old same old," Jones responds. "I had football practice though."

"As entertaining as that is which it isn't nothing exciting happened to me either."

Tasha laughs at Lux's comment and Jones just shakes his head.

"Remind me again why I am friends with you two losers."

"It's because we are hot, that's why," Lux responds with ease as she starts walking down the hallway.

Tasha laughs and shakes her head at Jones' obvious staring.

"She has a boyfriend you know?"

Jones nods his head.

"I know, but maybe she'll realize what's in front of her and she gives me a shot."

"Keep dreaming Jones. Bug is all she has on her mind."

Tasha hurries to catch up with her friend.

"What kind of name is Bug?" Jones asks out loud before hurrying to his class.

***Life is Beautiful***

"We have to figure out what we are going to do," Ryan says as he walks into the kitchen. "What are we going to tell Lux?"

"What do you mean, what are we going to tell Lux? We aren't going to tell her anything. She's our daughter Ryan. Baze has nothing to do with this at all."

"Except he is part of the reason why she exists."

"Why now?" Cate asks Ryan. "Why is he doing this now? Things were perfect. We can't tell her anything Ryan because if we do she's going to feel like her whole life is a lie."

"Lie, no, but lying by omission, yes. Cate, we can't hide the fact anymore. What if Baze fights for custody? He can do that. I never officially adopted Lux because you said that I had nothing to worry about, only now I do. I could lose my daughter and I don't want. I accepted the fact that you didn't want to have any more kids, but Lux is mine, blood or not. I can't lose her."

Cate walks over to Ryan and wraps her arms around him and takes comfort in his arms.

"You are not going to lose her. Her first words were dada and you taught her how to ride a bike. You're her father in every way that counts."

Ryan pulls away from Cate with a heartbroken expression.

"Except by blood."

Ryan walks out of the room and grabs his keys. He needed to get away and clear his head. He didn't know where to go.

Cate closes her eyes and sighs.

"I hate you, Nathaniel Bazile!"

***Life is Beautiful***

"I may not be the smartest guy, but do you really want to do that to this girl. It's obvious she doesn't know, but are you willing to just change her entire life to ease your guilt for walking away?"

Baze stares at Jamie.

"You are supposed to be on my side."

"I was until you told me what you did. Look, you're my friend and I care, but this doesn't just involve you. It involves a whole lot of other people. Everything you do from here on out is going to have consequences."

"I should've been there and I wasn't. Instead I let some other guy take care of my kid. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life and walking away from Cate was the biggest one of them all. I want to try to fix it now."

Jamie shrugs his shoulders.

"It's up to you, but if you do this you are going to have to fight like hell because I don't see Cate letting you do this on her own."

"I hate what you are saying, but you're right. I have to fight. If I fight then I can prove to Cate that I'm mature enough to handle this. The only way that I am going to get a good lawyer though means I have to talk to my dad."

"Are you really going to have this conversation with your dad now? He's going to kill you."

"If I tell him now, he'll probably kill me. If he finds out from someone else, he'll kill me. I figure either way I'm screwed."

Jamie nods his head.

"Yep, you're screwed."

***Life is Beautiful***

Lux comes into her house with a smile on her face. She didn't have homework today so she didn't have to worry about anything. She found her mom sitting in the living room.

"Where's dad?"

Cate looks away from the television and smiles slightly.

"He's running errands."

Lux didn't believe her.

"Mom, is everything okay?"

Cate smiled reassuringly at her daughter or at least she tried to.

"There is nothing to worry about. I promise you. Your dad just went to do errands. Now how about you sit here with me and we watch a movie together?"

Lux looked at her mother apprehensively but did as her mother suggested.

***Life is Beautiful***

"Explain it to me again," Jack Bazile said to his son. Baze had just finished telling his father all about what had happened in high school. "Because it just doesn't make sense. How could you do something so stupid?"

"I was a teenager!"

"It doesn't matter. You had a responsibility to do something. You fathered a child and chose to ignore it."

"I made a mistake. I'm trying to fix that now."

"My son wouldn't have done this."

Baze stands up from his seat.

"Your son didn't want to disappoint you! Your son felt like it was the _only_ thing he could do."

"Sit down," Jack orders his son. "You were an idiot if you thought that making things fine now is great. 15 years Nate, that's a hell of a long time to wait to do something."

"I screwed up, okay? I get that. Now are you going to help me get my daughter or are am I going to have to go somewhere else?"


	4. Survive

**A/N: The chapter isn't as long as the last one and I apologize for that. I'm sorry I let updating slide on this story. I felt like I had just completed one chapter and then I go to start another one and a month has passed since I last updated so I apologize this is getting out later than expected. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Survive<strong>

Ryan watched his daughter's chest rise and fall. The first time that Ryan had laid eyes on Lux Cassidy was the day she was born. He had cried like a baby, and he knew that no matter what he was going to protect her with his life.

The last few weeks had been an emotional rollercoaster with him. The feeling that once the truth came out about Lux's parentage, he was no longer going to have a role in her life. He didn't want to be the step father. He wanted to be the father. He wants to be the one to teach her how to drive. He wants to be the one that pays for her college. He wants to be the one to walk her down the aisle when she gets married. He wanted all of that and slowly he was beginning to realize that it might not happen, all because he had met Cate Cassidy a few months too late.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Ryan looked at his wife.

"Just watching Lux sleep," Ryan whispers. "I used to do it all the time. I can't for the life of me wonder why I stopped. She looks so innocent when she's sleeping. Nothing in the world can hurt her."

Cate grabbed her husband's hand and lead him down the attic steps.

"Ryan, you have got to stop beating yourself up over this. You did what most guys never would have done. You stuck around and Lux wasn't even yours."

"That never mattered to me Cate. I liked you and Baze had already told you that he wanted nothing to do with you so I made up my mind. Lux was my child and I have lived up to that ever since. For god sakes our own family thinks Lux is mine."

"I never told anybody the truth either Ryan. Look, hopefully this whole thing with Baze will just go away and everything will be okay again."

Ryan shakes his head slowly.

"I don't think he will. And that is what scares me."

***Life is Beautiful***

"Alright Tom, what exactly are we dealing with here? My son screwed up, but we need your help."

Tom Slater looked down at the files on his desk. He had been Jack Bazile's attorney for awhile. He had known Nate since he was born and when Jack had told him about the situation his son was in he had been surprised, but he promised he would help.

Tom looks up at Nate and sighs.

"Right now, it's not so good. I did some digging and found some information."

"Well then tell me the information. I want to know."

"Nate, Cate Cassidy is married to Ryan Thomas and they had gotten married in high school."

Nate looks up at Tom in confusion.

"That's not possible."

"It is. I found their marriage certificate and this is where things get more difficult for you."

Nate nodded his head and Jack looked around the office. He had a feeling that this information wasn't going to be good.

"Ryan and Cate got married before Lux was born. Now in the eyes of the law, Ryan Thomas is Lux's father and he has rights for her, not you."

Nate shakes his head.

"That's just not possible. I had sex with Cate before this Ryan guy even showed up in town."

"I can't control that, Nate. Ryan is on Lux's birth certificate. The law sees Ryan as her father."

"But he's not!" Baze argues.

"What can we do?"

"As your lawyer, I will do everything I can to help you," Tom furrows his eyebrow. "You really need to think about this because there is a way to get custody of Lux."

Nate looks up in surprise.

"Who said anything about custody? I just want to get to know my daughter."

Jack turns to his son and scoffs.

"You need to get custody of your daughter. You need to make things right. You screwed up and this is how you are going to fix it."

Nate sighs and nods his head. His father had always been a bully, but he was smart, that was for sure.

"What's the plan?"

"You need a court-ordered paternity test. When the results come in we can leave it to the judge to decide what to do, but once the test proves that you are the father of Luz Cassidy then there shouldn't be any reason why I judge wouldn't grant you the right to see your daughter."

Nate places his hands on his knees.

"Do whatever it is that you have to do!"

***Life is Beautiful***

Lux came down her stairs and saw her mother and father talking quietly in the kitchen and it had stopped when she walked in.

"What's everyone talking about?" Lux asks with a yawn.

"It's not important," Cate says with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

Lux shrugs her shoulders and takes a seat next to her father. Ryan rubs her back soothingly causing Lux to yawn again.

"Like usual."

"That's good," Ryan says with a smile. "So, do you have any plans today?"

Lux thinks about it for a minute, but then shakes her head.

"Not that I know of. Tash and Jones are busy doing something else with their families."

Cate smiles and her family and let's Ryan continue his conversation with _their_ daughter.

"Paige is in town and she wanted to get together for lunch if you're interested."

Lux lights up and she is instantly out of her seat, presumably to change. Ryan smiles and turns to Cate.

"I take that as a yes."

"I would assume so. I didn't know that Paige was going to be in town."

"I called her last night. She's my sister and she's the one I could talk to about anything. I think I'm going to tell her what's going on."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Would she tell your parents?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, I don't think so."

Cate taps her fingers on the table top. She had been thinking since this whole Baze business and she had been toying with the idea of actually being truthful to her daughter. Either way she figured she was going to be screwed because Lux was so headstrong about everything.

"Ryan, do you think we should tell Lux the truth at some point? Wouldn't it be better coming from us than anything else?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, I don't want that. I don't want to screw up Lux's whole life. She just needs to know that her father is always going to be there for her and that he isn't some deadbeat that takes off. I'm her father and we're not telling her anything."

Ryan storms out of the kitchen and enters his bedroom. He lies down on his bed and closes his eyes. He really hated Nathaniel Bazile.

***Life is Beautiful***

"There is my favorite niece in the world!" Paige exclaimed as she jumped out of her seat at the local outdoor café.

Lux grins and runs into Paige's arms. Paige grins and wraps her arms around her niece.

"I missed you kid."

"I missed you too, Aunt Paige."

Ryan and Care unlocked their hands and took a seat.

"How has everything been going? How's Jones?"

Lux blushes and shakes her head. Paige took every chance she could at embarrassing Lux.

"Things are fine and Jones and I are good. How are things with you?"

Paige fixes her ponytail and shrugs her shoulders.

"I've mostly been traveling. I enjoy it, but I figured I'd check in on my family."

Lux grins and stands up from the table.

"That's cool. I'm just going to head to the bathroom real quick," Lux announces.

"Me too," Cate states figuring this was going to be the best time for Paige and Ryan to talk.

Cate and Lux head inside to the bathroom. Paige turns to her brother and lifts an eyebrow.

"What's up? I get this cryptic phone call from you and you sounded hurt Ryan. What's going on? Are you and Cate getting a divorce?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, it's nothing like that. A guy from high school is trying to ruin my life," Ryan says simply.

"How could he be ruining your life?"

"Cate's been seeing him at Lux's school and he's been calling and it's just been really hard to deal with."

"That's stockerish. Ryan, just tell the guy to stay away from your family. You have to protect your daughter. What the hell does he want anyway?"

"His daughter," Ryan says sadly. "He wants his daughter."

Paige looks at Ryan in concern. Her brother had always told her everything, but something tells her by the way that Ryan was looking that he hasn't told her everything. Ryan looks around and sighs.

"Lux is his daughter."

Paige's eyes widen in shock.

"No, Lux is your daughter."

"In my mind and in my heart she is, but nothing ties us together biologically."

"But she's my niece," Paige whispers.

Ryan nods his head.

"She is. I'm her father and I don't care what that ass thinks. Paige, I need you not to tell anybody. Mom and dad don't know. Cate's family doesn't know and Lux doesn't know."

"Ryan," Paige whispers sadly.

"I know," Ryan whispers back. "I know."

***Life is Beautiful***

"Why do you two look so sad?" Lux questions as she approaches the table.

"Do we?" Paige asks Ryan, cheering up instantly. "I don't think we do. What about you Ryan?"

Ryan shakes his head adamantly.

"Nope, I'm not sad. I'm happy that I can just sit here with my family and enjoy lunch."

Lux sits down in hr chair and raises an eyebrow at her father. He had been acting really weird lately, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Okay then, what's everybody having because I have no clue?"

Everyone looked into their menus and silently decided on what to eat. Paige looks up from her menu to glance at Lux and Ryan. She couldn't believe it. There was no way that Lux wasn't like Ryan. She didn't want to believe it, but all it took was one look into her brother's eyes to know that everything he had said had been the truth. She just hoped that this family could survive this.


	5. The Truth is Out There and it Hurts

**Ch. 5: The Truth is Out There and it Hurts**

"_Good morning Portland. It's currently six AM on this glorious Saturday morning and I'm sitting here with my lovely wife, Cate and before the show started we had a fight."_

"_It wasn't a fight. You chose to disagree with me."_

"_Oh, come on," Ryan says with a laugh. "I'm sure everyone will agree with me that it's always nice to sit down as a family and eat dinner."_

_Cate scoffs._

"_I wasn't disputing that. All I meant was that sitting down with your family for dinner at the same time everyday can make someone go completely crazy."_

"_We eat dinner as a family. Are you telling me that you're crazy?"_

_Cate grins at Ryan and shakes her head._

"_No, but we don't eat dinner at the same time every night. We also don't eat dinner together all the time."_

_A knock on the window reveals that they have a caller._

"_Caller number one, you're on the air," Cate states._

"_Are you telling me that we made you go crazy because I had to sit through the dinners too and you just sat there and pretended like nothing bothered you until now? Then I guess you are crazy, but I don't think I caused it."_

"_Abby, is that you?"_

"_Of course it's me. Who else would call you crazy except for maybe Lux? By the way mom wants to have dinner."_

"_No," Cate replies fast. "Abby?" the tone dial sounded._

_Ryan grins at his wife._

"_You have a colorful family."_

"_You married into it."_

***Life is Beautiful***

"Something is up."

Tasha looks up from her school book to look up at Lux.

"I need a little more to go on."

Lux and Tasha were sitting around the table at Lux's home to study for a test that they had Monday morning.

"My parents have been acting weird around me. There are moments when I walk into the room and everything is silent. It's weird and I know that they are hiding something from me. I just don't know what it is. Plus they've been talking to their lawyer."

"Are they getting a divorce?"

Lux bites the bottom of her lip and shakes her head.

"No, I don't think so. They're completely in love. I mean they've been married since high school."

Tasha shrugs her shoulders.

"It was just an idea and it was the only idea that I had."

Lux slumps in her chair.

"I hate not knowing stuff."

"Lux, I'm sure everything is fine. You probably are freaking over nothing. If it was serious then I'm sure they'd tell you."

Lux walks to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water. She passes one to Tasha.

"I have this feeling in my gut that whatever they aren't telling me is something big."

"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, right?" Tasha asks hesitantly.

Lux just raises an eyebrow. That was a good question.

***Life is Beautiful***

"Where are you going man?" Jamie asked from behind the bar.

"I've got something that I have to drop off. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Don't do anything stupid, Baze. Let your lawyer handle this."

Baze shrugs on his jacket.

"I don't know what you are talking about man. I'm just going to the store."

Jamie looks at the envelope in Baze's hand.

"Who is that addressed to?"

Baze puts it in his pocket and leaves the bar. He then gets into his jeep and starts it up. He places the letter on the passenger seat and looks at himself in the rear view mirror. Baze had absolutely no idea what the hell he was doing. He didn't think anyone around him had any idea on what they were doing. His lawyer was working slowly on a possible case, but it wasn't enough. He needed to get in contact with Lux. Baze looks away from the mirror and drives away.

***Life is Beautiful***

"I can't believe this is happening. Can he really do that?"

Amber Waite took her glasses off of her face and placed it on the desk in front of her. Cate and Ryan were currently sitting across from her.

"Unfortunately, he can. There is nothing stopping him from doing so. I can't begin to understand what you two are going through. We can fight this though."

Ryan crosses his arms across his chest.

"How can we fight this exactly?"

"Basically we fight for full custody."

Ryan looks up at his lawyer with worry.

"Why are we mentioning custody?"

"Cate, Ryan, this is what the court case is about. Nathaniel wants a court ordered paternity test and most likely he will get it because I'm not fighting that."

Cate raises her eyebrow.

"And why not?"

"If you fight it in court that basically means that you are admitting that there is a reason to have one. All three of us know the truth. In the eyes of the court, Ryan is Lux's father. It doesn't matter about genetics. We have that going for us. We just need to make sure the judge knows that it is in Lux's best interest to stay with you two."

"This shouldn't even be up for discussion," Ryan retorts in anger. He was just angry about the whole situation. His life was slowly starting to crumble and he couldn't fix it. "I don't care what any test says or what any court says. Lux Annabelle Cassidy is my daughter. I named her!"

Ryan storms out of the office while Cate wipes away her tears. Amber hands Cate a tissue.

"Why does everything have to be so hard?"

"Cate, you and Ryan and Lux can get through this okay? How has Lux taken to this news?"

Cate looks down at her lap, avoiding eye contact with Amber.

"We haven't told her yet."

Amber sighs unhappily.

"Before you do anything else, you need to tell Lux. She has the right to know."

***Life is Beautiful***

"Can we please take a break from the studying?" Tasha complains.

Lux caps her pen and shoves her books away. She was tired of studying too. Lux and Tasha make them way to the living room to watch some television. Tasha flips through the channels until she lands on a movie channel. The particular movie was almost over, but it didn't matter to the girls because they didn't want to go back to studying. The doorbell rings and Lux slowly gets up to answer it. She opens the door, but no one is there. She sees a blue jeep speed down the road. Lux shakes her head and turns around and spots something sticking out of the mailbox. Lux grabs the envelope and spots her name. Lux looks around again before entering her house.

"Who was at the door?"

Lux shrugs her shoulders as she sits down and opens the envelope.

"What is it?"

"I found it in my mailbox. It's addressed to me."

Lux opens the folded up paper and sees that it's a handwritten letter. Lux begins reading silently to herself.

_Dear Lux,_

_I honestly don't know how to start this letter or even if I wanted to, but I finally decided to just go for it. My name is Nathaniel Bazile, but most people call me Baze. Your mom and Ryan did. I'm writing this letter because I wanted you to know the truth. I wanted you to know what really happened in high school with your mom, me, and Ryan._

_It was the night of winter formal and our dates had gone off to do god knows what, but that had been the first time that I actually talked to your mom. I won't go into specific details to spare you, but three months later, your mom told me she was pregnant. It had also been the day that she had met Ryan._

_I've made mistakes Lux. I had told Cate that I couldn't handle being a father and she told me she was keeping you. I've thought about you constantly. I wondered how tall you are. What your favorite things are? What kind of grades you get? All these questions are floating in my head and I can't fit them all into this letter._

_I don't know how you are feeling right now, but I'd like to meet you, in person. I own the Open Bar and you can stop in anytime except for business hours, but I'd really like to talk to you. I'm not much of a writer so a face to face conversation would work better._

_I hope to see you soon, but if I don't I'll understand._

_Nathaniel "Baze" Bazile_

"Oh my god," Tasha whispers. She had been reading the letter over her best friend's shoulder and she was completely surprised.

Lux places the letter on the table and leans back on the couch. She felt like someone had punched her in the gut a few times until her ribs broke. Thoughts were currently running throughout her mind and she didn't have any idea what to think. Did her parents really lie to her for her entire life? Was Ryan not her father, but this Baze guy? How could her parents lie to her like this?

"I knew that they were keeping something from me. I just didn't think that it could be something this big," Lux looks at Tasha with tears in her eyes. "My dad's not my dad."

"Lux, you don't know that. This Baze guy could be completely wrong. You have to talk to Cate and Ryan and get the truth."

Lux shakes her head.

"They won't tell me the truth. I need to see this Baze guy. I need to know if this letter is legit."

"Lux, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I have to know Tasha!" Lux yells as she gets up from the couch. "It's about time that I learn the truth."

Lux is out the door quicker then Tasha was able to grab her stuff. Tasha quickly packed up all of her things and ran out the door. Lux was nowhere to be seen.

***Life is Beautiful***

Ryan and Cate walk into the house with a heavy sigh.

"Lux, Tasha, are you girls here?" Cate calls out.

Ryan sits down on the couch and spots the letter. He starts reading and is silently fuming the more he reads. Cate comes into the room.

"I don't think the girls are here."

Ryan hands Cate the letter that he had found. Ryan was shaking his leg and moving around. He couldn't sit still. Cate tosses the letter on the table and shakes her head.

"I can't believe this. He hasn't changed one bit since high school."

"I'm going to kill him," Ryan tells Cate in a relatively calm tone, that scared Cate.

Ryan got up from the couch and stormed out the door. Cate quickly followed him.

"Ryan!"

Ryan clenches his fists and turns to his wife.

"What?"

Cate places her hands on Ryan's arms.

"You need to calm down. I'm not against confronting him, but you can't fly off the handle."

Ryan knew that his wife was right. HE took a calming breath and nods his head.

"Okay, let's go."

***Life is Beautiful***

Baze had his back turned away from the door when he heard it open.

"We're closed."

"What's your point?"

Baze turns around surprised. Lux was standing right in front of him. He didn't think she'd actually show up. Baze walks out from behind the bar.

"Um…hi, how are you?"

Lux shrugs her shoulders.

"I just want some answers."

Baze puts his hands into his jean pockets.

"I'm gonna need a question."

Lux looks around the empty bar and sighs.

"Is what the letter said true? Are you really my dad?"

Baze slowly nods his head.

"Yeah, kid, I am."


	6. Who's My Dad

**Ch. 6: Who's my dad?**

Lux sat on a stool in _Open Bar_ trying to comprehend everything that Baze had just told her. Baze pours Lux a glass of soda and places it in front of her.

"You're an ass."

Baze nods his head at Lux's words.

"I can agree with that. I've made a lot of mistakes. I've never tried to fix it, until now."

Lux frowns before taking a sip of her soda.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Baze leans forward on the counter top.

"I'm not sure about you, but it made me feel better."

Lux just stares at Baze. She didn't know how she could be related to that guy. She decides to voice her thoughts.

"I don't know how I can be related to you."

Baze shrugs his shoulders.

"Sorry."

Before Lux could get another word in the door to the _Open Bar_ is thrown open and Ryan and Cate are running through it. Lux looks at her parents with wide eyes. Baze comes out from the bar and holds his hands out in front of him.

"Look, she had a right to know. I was only doing what you two were afraid to do."

Ryan throws back his arm and throws a punch to Baze's face causing him to drop to the floor.

"Dude, come on," Baze groans.

Ryan huffs and holds onto his aching fist. Ryan looks at Lux and sighs.

"Luc, your mom and I can explain."

Lux gets up from her chair and nods her head.

"Good because you are going to answer my questions."

Lux storms out of the bar and Cate glares down at Baze.

"You couldn't just leave it alone, could you?"

"She's my kid, would you leave it alone?"

Cate ignores Baze and follows Lux's lead. Baze was sitting on the ground and looking up at Ryan.

"You may be her father, but you are not her dad."

"That's the same thing," Baze states as he stands up from the floor. He licks at his cut lip.

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, there's a big difference. You weren't there for fifteen years of her life." Ryan points at himself. "I was there. I was there the day she had her first breath. I was there for the first three years of her life that she spent in the hospital getting surgery while the doctors repaired her heart." Ryan shakes his head. "I was there. Where were you?"

***Life is Beautiful***

Lux, Cate, and Ryan all sat around the dining room table. They had been sitting there since they had gotten home. Ryan and Cate would look at each other before looking at their daughter. Lux just continued to stare at the table.

"I've been lied to my whole life," Lux looks up from the table at Ryan. "You're not my dad."

"Yes, I am," Ryan adamantly states. "We may not share blood, but you are my daughter. That's never going to change."

Lux turns to her mother who has been silent the entire time.

"Why didn't you just tell me sooner, why keep it some sort of secret."

Cate could see the hurt in her daughter's eyes and it broke her heart.

"I was in high school, Lux. I told Baze that I was pregnant and he tells me that he can't do anything for me. He wanted nothing to do with us. I wasn't going to tell you that growing up. I met Ryan that same day."

Lux stands up and shakes her head.

"I can't handle this."

"This is the exact reason why I didn't tell you when you were younger."

Lux scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Oh and that makes everything better. Doesn't it?" Lux spits out harshly.

"Hey!" Ryan yells. He had enough of his daughter's attitude. "You do not speak to your mother like that!"

"I'm pissed off!" Lux yells back. "My entire life changed by a damn letter."

"Watch it," Ryan warns. "You're skating on thin ice as it is."

Lux screams, startling Cate and Ryan.

"I hate you both!" She spits out before storming out of the room.

"I really hate Baze, but she's right. Her whole life just changed and it's our fault. We weren't honest with her because we were afraid of what would happen. We did this all wrong."

Ryan looks at his wife with sadness.

"Baze is going to be in our life. Apparently there is no way around it. Lux is his kid just like she's yours and mine. It would be easier if we settle this outside of court. I don't want to put Lux through anymore pain."

"We'll talk to him tomorrow. It's the only thing we can do. We can give Lux a chance to cool off tonight along with us and we can sit down and ask what she wants because we haven't asked her opinion on anything and then depending on her answer we can decide what we are going to do."

Cate looked towards the kitchen window and yawns. It was dark outside and when Cate looked at the clock she noticed it was five to twelve.

"We have a lot to talk about," Cate says as she stands up from her chair. "But I can't think about it anymore. I'm too tired to think about it. I just want to go to bed."

Ryan walks over to his wife and wraps his arm around her.

"We'll get through this and hopefully I can work through my insecurities."

***Life is Beautiful***

After storming out on her parents Lux had gone to her safe haven; her bedroom. This was the place she went whenever she needed to get away. She could sit in her room and play her music and know that no matter what, if given the time, she'd cool off before doing something stupid.

Currently, Lux was sitting on her bed while her iPod played a random song in her library.

Lux sat and just thought about the day and how everything went down. She knew her parents were hiding something. She never would have guessed it was something as big as it was. She wished they were hiding a separation or something instead of it being that Ryan wasn't her father. A separation she could deal with, but Ryan not being her dad, she didn't know if she could.

She loved Ryan. He was her dad and it didn't matter what that Baze guy wanted. She had a father. She doesn't need another one.

Lux wipes at her tears and shuts of her music. She makes her way downstairs and slowly enters her parent's room. Cate was sleeping on her side and Ryan was sleeping on his back. Lux crawled into the space between them and closed her eyes. She curled up next to her dad and fell asleep.

Ryan woke up to a weight on his chest. He opened his eyes and saw a fluff of blonde hair and he knew it was his daughter. Ryan wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

"I love you kiddo, that won't ever change."

Before he fell asleep again, Ryan heard the whispered words of his daughter.

"I love you, too."


End file.
